The Google-branded Samsung Nexus Srolled out Dec. 16 for $199 and a two-year contract from T-Mobile or unlocked for $529. The handset is Google's second in the Nexus line, following the Nexus One, which was relegated to developer phone status after consumers declined to purchase it online en masse. Google learned from that gaffe by launching the Nexus S at Best Buy online and its brick-and-mortar stores, with availability at Carphone Warehouse and Best Buy in the U.K. coming next week. The device, the first smartphone based on Google's Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS, is a gorgeous piece of hardware that recalls the handful of other gadgets in the Samsung Galaxy S line with its 4-inch Super AMOLED screen. However, while those devices are flat, the Nexus S sports a contoured finish for easy grip in the hands. Like its Android predecessors, the Nexus S has a 1GHz processor. Even so, we've no doubt this is the fastest Android device yet after testing it against a Motorola Droid X with Android 2.2 and a 1GHz processor. In short, it loaded most Web pages and some applications faster. We were also able to test out one of the key new features of Android 2.3: near field communications, or NFC. The new OS and the Nexus S are preloaded with NFC capabilities. Check out what we learned about Android 2.3 and the new device in this review and in this slideshow.